Method for assembling a vertical heat radiator

ABSTRACT

A method for assembling a vertical heat radiator comprises the steps of assembling heat-radiator fins in which a multitude of radiator fins, each having upper and lower holes or retaining notches, are combined with fixed spacing by lateral locking pieces, connecting heat pipes in which a set of heat pipes are put to go through the upper and lower holes or retaining notches and integrating components by punching in which the modules of heat-radiator fins and the heat pipes are integrated by an external punching tool.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods for assembling a vertical heat radiator, more particularly to a method for assembling a vertical heat radiator by which various components are integrated by a simple punching machine device. A radiator thereby formed has a set of extended heat pipes outreaching an external electronic element for facilitating heat conduction. Therefore, a heat radiator assembled by the present invention has the advantages of structural compactness and high efficiency of heat dissipation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A heat radiator 1 of high efficiency of heat dissipation used with electronic elements of the prior art comprises a heat pipes 11, radiator fins 12 and a heat sink 13 for an area contact with an electronic device 2, whereby the heat generated in the device 2 will be conducted through the sink 13 and the pipes to the fins 12. Therefore, the connection between the pipes 11 and the sink 13 directly affects the heat-radiation efficiency of the electronic device 2. However, the manufacturing cost of the conventional radiator 1 is high due to the cost of the components.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a heat dissipating device including heat pipes made by punching is characterized by at least a groove 15 on the top face of a heat sink 14 for housing at least a heat pipe 17. There is a plurality of slots formed at ends of the grooves 15 in a perpendicular to the grooves 15, whereby the radiator fins 18 can be inserted into the slots. The fins 18 are integrated with the sink 14 by two lateral casting molds; punched by the casting molds, the fins are deformed and expanded outwardly, whereby the fins 18, the pipes 17 and the sink 14 are tightly integrated.

However, the invention of R.O.C. patent number M268112 still has a sink, and therefore a problem of radiation efficiency caused by the tightness between the heat pipes and the sink.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling a vertical heat radiator by which the above-mentioned disadvantages in conventional heat radiators. The present invention redesigns the assembling mechanism of the various components by introducing simple compression machine tool, compression method and component arrangement. A radiator thereby formed has a set of extended heat pipes outreaching an external electronic element for facilitating heat conduction. Therefore, a heat radiator assembled by the present invention has the advantages of structural compactness and high efficiency of heat dissipation.

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat radiator of the prior art.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of another heat radiator of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a heat radiator made by the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a front view and a side view of the heat radiator in FIG. 2 before punch forming.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a heat radiator made of the present invention before the radiator fins and the heat pipes are punched.

FIG. 5 shows a front view and a side view of the heat radiator in FIG. 2 after punch forming.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a heat radiator made of the present invention after the radiator fins and the heat pipes are punched.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the heat radiator in FIG. 2 after punch forming.

FIG. 7A shows the attachment of the heat radiator in FIG. 2 onto an electronic element.

FIG. 8 is the side view of another preferred embodiment made of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, a method for assembling a vertical heat radiator according to the present invention comprises the steps of

Step (1)—Assembling Heat-Radiating Fins:

A multitude of first radiator fins 3 are respectively provided with upper connecting holes 31 and lower connecting holes 32. Each of the upper connecting holes 31 has a slot 33 extended upward to the boundary of a corresponding upper connecting hole 31 and a locking neck piece 34 for holding a heat pipe.

One side of each of the upper connecting holes 31 and lower connecting holes 32 is provided with a ring flange (311, 312) for increasing the contact area with a corresponding one of the heat pipes 6. Each of the ring flanges 311 of the upper connecting holes 31 is provided with a slit 3 12 aligned with the corresponding slot 33. Each of the locking neck pieces 34 further includes two clip pieces 341, 342 formed on the surface of the corresponding first radiator fin 3.

A multitude of second radiator fins 4 are respectively provided with upper connecting holes 41 and lower retaining slots 42. Each of the upper connecting holes 41 has a slot 43 extended upward to the boundary of a corresponding upper connecting hole 41 and a locking neck piece 44 for holding a heat pipe.

One side of each of the upper connecting holes 41 is provided with a ring flange 411 for increasing the contact area with a corresponding one of the heat pipes 6. Each of the ring flanges 411 of the upper connecting holes 41 is provided with a slit 412 aligned with the corresponding slot 43. Each of the lower retaining slots 42 is provided with an arched flange 412, preferable taking the shape of a semi-circle. Each of the locking neck pieces 44 further includes two clip pieces 441, 442 formed on the surface of the corresponding second radiator fin 4.

The first radiator fins 3 and the second radiator fins 4 are respectively arranged with equal spacing by lateral retaining pieces 30 and 40. The vertical heat radiator further includes a module of heat-radiator fins 5 in an internal space 50.

The internal space 50 is defined as the space around the middle section of the heat pipes 6 between the first radiator fins 3 and the second radiator fins 4, as shown in FIG. 7.

Step (2)—Connecting the Heat Pipes 6:

At least one of the heat pipes 6 goes through the module of heat-radiator fins 5, the upper/lower connecting holes 31, 41/32 and the lower retaining slots 42. One end of the heat pipe 6 supports against the lower retaining slots 42 of the second radiator fins 4. A section of the heat pipe 6 therefore will be exposed in the internal space 50, as shown in FIG. 3.

Step (3)—Preparing a Compression Machine Tool

A compression machine tool 7 comprising an upper punching part 71 and a lower punching part 72 is used in this step, as shown in FIG. 3. The upper punching part 71 further includes a punch head 711 for punching the locking neck pieces 44 and the heat pipes 6 together. The lower punching part 72 has a section of bulged pieces 721 corresponding to the internal space 50, whereby the punch heads 722 on the section of bulged pieces 721 punch the lower connecting holes 32 and the heat pipes 6 together.

Step (4)—Integrating Components by the Compression Machine Tool:

The technique of punch forming is applied to the upper punching part 71 and the upper punching part 71 of the compression machine tool 7, whereby the punch head 711 on the upper punching part 71 will punch the locking neck pieces 44 so that the heat pipes 6 can be integrated with the slots 33, 34. At the same time, the punch heads 722 on the lower punching part 72 will punch at the lower connecting holes 32 on the first radiator fins 3 and the module of heat-radiator fins 5 so that the heat pipes 6 will be integrate therein. Further, the section of bulged pieces 721 will punch the exposed section of the heat pipes 6 in the internal open space 50, so that a contact area can be formed for being attached to an external electronic element 8 (using a layer of heat-conducting paste).

In other preferred embodiments made of the present invention, the lower punching part 72 does not have a section of bulged pieces 721; so the lateral surfaces of the heat pipes 6 exposed in the internal open space 50 will not be punched. The connection between the portion of heat pipes 6 and an external electronic element 8 is realized by a layer of heat-conducting paste.

Step (5)—Forming an Internal Open Space 50:

The portion of heat pipes 6 exposed in the open space 50 is for connecting an external electronic element 8 (using a layer of heat-conducting paste), whereby the heat generated in the electronic element 8 will be efficiently conducted to the heat pipes 6 and immediately the adjacent modules of heat-radiator fins 5. Therefore, the production cost can be significantly reduced.

Referring to FIG. 8, another preferred embodiment made by the present invention as a heat radiator has heat pipes 6 with upward tilted sections 61, whose position after the assembly forms a downwardly extended portion capable of providing area contact with the electronic device to be treated. The upward tilted sections 61 are formed in the process of connecting heat pipes. Therefore, a heat sink is not necessary.

The present invention is thus described, and it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for assembling a vertical heat radiator, comprising the steps of: (1) assembling heat-radiator fins, in which a multitude of first radiator fins, each having upper/lower holes and upper slots are combined with fixed spacing, each of said upper and lower holes being provided with a clipping pieces, and in which a multitude of second radiator fins, each having upper holes, lower retaining slots and upper slots are combined with fixed spacing, each of said upper holes and said lower retaining slots being provided with clipping pieces, and in which said combined first radiator fins and second radiator fins are arranged on two sides of said heat pipes so as to form a middle open space having an additional module of heat-radiator fins; (2) connecting heat pipes in which a set of heat pipes are put to go through the upper and lower holes or retaining notches, in which at least a heat pipes goes through a corresponding set of said upper holes, lower holes and lower retaining slots, a section of said heat pipe being exposed to form said open space; and (3) integrating components by punching in which the modules of heat-radiator fins and the heat pipes are integrated by an external punching tool, in which a punch machine tool is used punch said heat pipes and said clipping pieces around said upper and lower holes simultaneously so that said clipping pieces around said upper and lower holes are deformed to integrated with each other, said open space being then directly attached to an external electronic device for conducting away the heat generated in said electronic device.
 2. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a ring flange to each of said upper and lower holes, each of said ring flanges having a slit aligned with said upper slots.
 3. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing arched flanges to said lower retaining slots of shape selected from semi-circle, arc and another curved geometry.
 4. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 further comprising wherein said clipping pieces on each of said first and second radiator fins consist of two independent oppositely facing clip pieces.
 5. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 further comprising wherein said open space is defined as the space between said first and second radiator fins.
 6. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 further comprising the step of using said open space to form a contact surface for directly attaching a top surface of an electronic device.
 7. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 further comprising the step of using said open space to form a contact surface for attaching a top surface of an electronic device by a heat-conducting paste.
 8. The method for assembling a vertical heat radiator of claim 1 wherein said punch machine tool further comprise: an upper punch part going through said upper slots above said upper holes on said first and second radiator fins so as to punch together said clipping pieces and said heat pipes; and a lower punch part corresponding to said open space and having a portion of punch heads for punching said heat pipes and said lower holes together.
 9. A method for assembling a vertical heat radiator, comprising the steps of: (1) assembling heat-radiator fins, in which a multitude of first radiator fins, each having upper/lower holes and upper slots are combined with fixed spacing maintained by locking pieces, each of said upper and lower holes being provided with a clipping pieces, and in which a multitude of second radiator fins, each having upper holes, lower retaining slots and upper slots are combined with fixed spacing maintained by locking pieces, each of said upper holes and said lower retaining slots being provided with clipping pieces, and in which said combined first radiator fins and second radiator fins are arranged on two sides of said heat pipes so as to form a middle open space having an additional module of heat-radiator fins; (2) connecting heat pipes in which a set of heat pipes are put to go through the upper and lower holes or retaining notches, in which at least a heat pipes goes through a corresponding set of said upper holes, lower holes and lower retaining slots, a section of said heat pipe being exposed to form said open space, said heat pipes being further provided with downward extended folded sections; and (3) integrating components by punching in which the modules of heat-radiator fins and the heat pipes are integrated by an external punching tool, in which a punch machine tool is used punch said heat pipes and said clipping pieces around said upper and lower holes simultaneously so that said clipping pieces around said upper and lower holes are deformed to integrated with each other, said open space being then directly attached to an external electronic device for conducting away the heat generated in said electronic device; whereby said extended folded sections of said heat pipes will form a downward extended contact area for being directly attached to an electronic device. 